Hand protector



March 33, 1942. c, TWEEDlE I 2,277,893 I HAND PROTECTOR Filed March 26.1941 Patented Mar. 31, 1942 iUNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND PROTECTORCharles Tweedie, Jefferson City, Mo. Application March 26, 1941, SerialNo. 385,258

7 Claims.

My .invention relates to means for preventing blistering and callousingof the hand by the use of golf clubs and the like. The principal objectof the present invention is to improve the hand protector described inLetters Patent No. 1,943,567 granted to me January 16, 1934, andespecially to improve the gripping'faculty of that device and to extendthe range of the protective faculty thereof in the region of the littlefinger. The invention consists principally in providing for theadjustment of thedevice to the hand. It also consists in supplementingthe patented device in the region of the little finger with an extrapiece of greater width and length than the lobes of the patented deviceand movably mounted on the band, said supplemental piece beingpreferably of heart-shape with one or more slits in its small endthrough which the band is laced. It also consists in the parts andcombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification andwherein like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a view of the face of th device in the flat,

Fig. 2 is a view of the back thereof,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, in the flat, on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a View of the supplemental piece,

Fig. 5 is a view of the band opened out,

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views of the device applied to a hand,

Fig. 9 is a back view of a modification, and

Fig. 10 is a central-longitudinal section on the line Il0 in Fig. 9.

My present invention comprises a band A preferably made of soft andmoderately light leather with a suede or rough finish and formed intotwo loops, of which one, I, is closed and the other, 2, is open but isadapted to be closed by means of some form of detachable fastenermounted on the ends of the band. The band A terminates at one end in alobe-shaped enlargement 3 for retaining a slide buckle 4 thereon whichis also adapted to receive and retain the other end of said band. Asshown in the drawing, the buckle 4 has two openings that extendtherethrough and are separated by a cross-bar 6 and both ends of thestrap extend through both openings in said buckle and beneath the endsthereof and over the cross-bar 5 thereof. In this way, the length of theband A and the loops l and 2 therein may be varied according to theposition of the buckle 4 on said band and the point of engagement of theend ,5 of the band with said buckle.

In order that the girth of both loops I and 2 may be made adjustable, itis preferable to make the band A of a single strip doubled upon itselfabout .the middle portion thereof whereby the buckle or fastener .4 maybe located away from the palm of the hand and preferably at the back orouter side portion of the little finger. Also for this purpose, twotransverse slits I are cut in the face half 8of the band A about midwayof the length of such half, that is, where it will be substantiallyopposite the line between the second and third fingers of the hand; andthe back half 9 of said band is lacedv through said slits. By thisarrangement, the face and back portions of the band are united togetherfiatwise but are slidable lengthwise relative to one another to maintainthe point of sliding connection between said portions substantiallymidway of the length of the closed bandin all positions of adjustmentthereof. As shown in the drawing, the-back half 8 of the band A isnotched midway between the slits l to form lobes E0 on opposite sidesthereof and thence decreases to a minimum width where it joins the facehalf 9, which is of substantially uniform width throughout the length.

In addition to the main band A, the present invention provides vasupplemental piece or pad 13 of a suitable size, shape and location toimprove the grip on the handle C of the club and to extend the area ofprotection against blisters and callouses. This supplemental piece B ispreferably of heart-shape with a tab or extension II at its smaller end.It has in its small end portion a slit or slits i2, i3 through which theface portion 9 of the band A is laced to fasten the supplemental pieceon the band and still leave it slidable thereon. Preferably thesupplemental piece has two transverse slits i2, i3 spaced further apartthan the slits "i in the back half of the band and the face portion 9 ofthe band is laced through all of the slits in the following order: Firstthe endmost slit 1? in the supple-, mental piece B, then the two slits lin the back half 8 of the band A, and then the second slit K3 in saidsupplemental member. This arrangement affords a certain degree ofstability to the position of the supplemental member 13 but still leavesit slidable on the band A. The supple: mental member B is thus locatedso as to cover and protect substantial portions of the inner faces ofthe third and little fingers and the portion of the palm adjacentthereto.

This manner of mounting the supplemental member B, which is preferablymade of soft leather with a suede or rough finish, relieves it oftension endwise and crosswise so that it is entirely free to conform tothe muscular changes of the hand incident to gripping. Thus the grip isimproved and the area of protection against blistering and callousing isextended. In practice, the protector is mounted on the hand with theindex and little fingers extending through the respective loops 1 and 2thereof and with the second and third fingers back of the band andopposite the Wide portions IIJ thereof and with the notches thatseparate said wide portions located in substantial alinement with theline be tween the second and third fingers. Then the end portion 5 of gthe band is pulled endwise through and adjusted in the buckle 4 toproduce the proper fitting of the protector around the hand. When thusadjusted, the buckleis in position to lie at the back or outer side ofthe little finger when the protector is properly fitted to the hand, theback and face halves of the band A and the small end I I of thesupplemental piece B provide three thicknesses of material that fill thehollow between the bottom portions of the second and third fingers andrelieve the tension on the third and little fingers, thereby enablingthe wrist to relax. The supplemental member B extends the area ofprotection against blisters and callouses in the region of the third andlittle fingers, improves the grip on the handle of the club and, asshown in Fig. 8, suggests the correct grip, that is, a firm grip on thehandle by the third and little fingers and a light grip by the thumb andindex finger for guiding the club in the back swing.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. '7, the band A conforms to theconstruction illustrated in the Patent No. 1,943,567; that is, both endsof the band are doubled back and stitched or otherwise secured to theback of the face portion of the band about midway of the length thereof.In this construction, the buckle 4a is secured to the back portion ofone of the loops, preferably the little finger 2a loop and cooperateswith a strap l4 that has a series of holes 15 adapted to receive thetongue 4b of the buckle. The end of this strap is connected to the otheror index finger loop Ia preferably by means of a ring or link l6 throughwhich the loop material is laced so as to make a free slidingconnection. In this way, the tightening of the strap has the effect ofdrawing both loops taut.

What I claim is:

1. A hand protector comprising a band doubled on itself and united intotwo loops adapted to accommodate the index and little finger of thehand, and means for adjusting said loops to the hand, said meanscomprising a buckle mounted near the end of the back portion of oneloop, a ring slidably mounted on the other loop, and a strap attached tosaid ring and adapted to cooperate with said buckle.

2. A hand protector comprising a band with a fastening device near oneend and with the other end adapted for cooperation with said device,one-half of the band having oppositely disposed notches about midwaythereof and transversely disposed slits near said notches, the otherhalf of said band extending slidably through said slits.

3. A hand protector comprising a band with a fastening device adjustablymounted near one end and with the other end adapted for cooperation withsaid device, one-half of the band having oppositely disposed notchesabout midway thereof and transversely disposed slits near said notches,the other half of said band extending slidably through said slits.

4. A hand protector comprising a band with a buckle at one end and withthe other end adapted for cooperation with said buckle, one-half of theband having oppositely disposed notches about midway thereof andtransversely disposed slits near said notches, and a heart-shaped piecewith transverse slits in its small end portion, the other half of saidband extending through the slits in said band and the slits in saidpiece.

5. A hand protector comprising a band having cooperative fasteningdevices at its respective ends, one-half of the band having lobes thatincrease in breadth inwardly from their outer ends and are separated byoppositely disposed notches about midway of the length of said half andalso having transversely disposed slits spaced apart in the midwayportion thereof, and a supplemental piece having a tab at its small endand a transverse slit in said tab, the second half of said band beinglaced through the slits of both said band and said piece.

6. A hand protector comprising a band having cooperative fasteningdevices at its respective ends, one-half of the band having lobes thatincrease in breadth inwardly from their outer ends and are separated byoppositely disposed notches about midway of the length of said half, andhaving transversely disposed slits spaced apart in the midway portionthereof, and a heart-shaped piece having transverse slits in the smallend portion thereof that are spaced apart further than the slits of theband, the second half of said band being laced through the slits in boththe band and said piece.

7. A hand protector comprising a band doubled on itself and united intotwo loops adapted to accommodate the index and little finger of a handand a supplemental piece wider and longer than a loop and having atransverse slit near one end thereof through which the band extends.

CHARLES TWEEDIE.

